Times Mirror
by Haku's Tears
Summary: Stumbling onto one of the most ancient artefacts in the world was not what Harry was expecting when he was sent to investigate leads into Death Eaters whereabouts. Especially it has the ability to send a person back in time. Now he has to teach his own parents, kill Voldemort again and fight his growing feelings for someone he shouldn't fall for. Slash, rating will go up.
1. Chapter 1

Breathing deeply through his nose, Harry savoured the fresh smell of the earth as he walked deeper into the dark forest. The sun was only just starting to rise now, casting soft rays of light through the small gaps in the leaves, bird song started to ring through the air as his weight snapped small branches on the ground.

Pulling the sleeves up of his black Auror uniform, Harry stopped in front of a cave entrance, its walls covered in thick moss, a tree sat far above the rocky face, its roots could be seen running down its side before burying themselves into the ground. With a flick of his wrist, he release his wand from its holster.

"_Lumos" _he muttered before proceeding inside, the light cast shadows where it could making the cave look more daunting, its damp smell harshly hitting his nose.

His footsteps echoed softly, his senses wary of traps that may have been left by the Death Eaters who were supposedly there conducting research in ways Voledmort could extend his reach permanently on the Dark Lord's orders. With a resigned sigh, he pulled out a small compact mirror.

"Ronald Weasley" he called out, the mirror almost instantly showed his friends freckled face.

"Found anything yet Harry?" Ron asked through the mirror, his eyes on the paperwork that sat on his desk, "honestly, if I had known there'd be this much paperwork, I would have gone for another career" he whined after signing a document before reaching for another.

"Better than this, there's nothing here, no traps, no signs of life. Nothing" Harry grumbled, his attention now on Ron as he carried on walking through the damp cave. Pausing Harry took in the cave, "think this is a dead end mate" there were no paths which he could follow having hit the back of the cave.

"Well come back and we'll inform Kingsley it was a false lead" Ron muttered before groaning as more paperwork was dropped on his desk.

Sighing, Harry nodded his head in agreement "yeah okay, this was a waste of tim-wait."

Ron lifted his head to look worriedly at his dark haired friend.

"You found something?" he asked concerned, "remember, if you do find something, don't touch it okay? Call for backup and we'll get some curse breakers down there."

Not paying attention to Ron, Harry found a large crack in the corner of the wall that could have easily been missed.

"Yeah, I'll call you back Ron" he said distractedly closing his mirror and wiggling through the crack, it was just large enough for him to fit through with a small amount of discomfort. He doubted any of the Crabbe family had been here.

Twisting his body through the rough edges, he managed to get himself through to the other side with no extreme difficulty. Quickly dusting the dirt from his uniform, he looked around his new surroundings, his mouth fell open in shock at how large the room was. Mosaics and colourful glowing crystals covered the walls, marble steps lead down to shallow, clear water that surrounded what looked like a large ancient mirror. Its frame made of the same white and pale pink crystals that erupted from the walls and ceiling. Witch fire glowed brightly within their pits on the outskirts of the water.

Cancelling his lumos spell, Harry cautiously cast defensive spells, trying to detect any traps or other defences that may have been put in place. Satisfied but concerned that he found none, he took tentative steps down the staircase, looking at the story the mosaics presented but was unable to decipher them fully, just that the mirror was important in an ancient magical tribes culture and that it had helped them survive for generations.

Heat radiated from his pocket as the compact mirror vibrated.

"Hey Ron" he said breathlessly, only giving his friend a quick glance before returning to study the mirror across the shallow water.

"Mate! You alright? Blimey you idiot, don't just turn the mirror off without warning" he voice was laced in frustration as he rubbed his eyes, "anyway, what's got your attention? You look like Hermione in a library."

"Ron, you have _got _to see this place. It's...beautiful" Harry replied as he walked through the water towards the mirror fascinated. It looked like it had grown there with the crystals but that was impossible, mirrors were man made. He sensed magic pulsing from it, the Mirror of Erised flashing through his mind as shifted closer.

Raising a brow at his friends words, Ron looked at him in concern, "I knew it was too soon for you to go back to the field" he said exasperated, "why did I let you convince me to vouch for you I do not know. Harry, come back to the Ministry, I'll ask for them to send someone else over."

"Ron. I'm fine. My mentality is _fine." _Harry growled angrily, shaking his head and pushing back the memory of his last mission. "Seriously, this place _is _beautiful" he moved the mirror so Ron could see the room for himself minus the mirror, he didn't want his friend to see that for some reason.

He heard Ron's loud intake of breath as he took in the room from the small mirror on his side.

"Okay mate, yeah, I agree with you on that. Seems like the Death Eaters didn't get in there at all" he said happily.

"I agree, but I'm still going to take a look around. This might be another departments area. Seems historical in my opinion."

Turning the mirror back to face him, Harry said goodbye to Ron before closing the mirror again and turning his attention back to the mirror, taking small steps to stand before it.

Pushing the compact mirror back into his pocket a small photograph fell out and fluttered to the floor. He quickly leant down to pick it back up and looked at the moving image of the marauders at Hogwarts. A small fond smile spread across his lips as James threw his arms around Sirius and Remus's shoulders. He wondered what Hogwarts must have been like for them during their stay there. '_A lot different from mine, I imagine' _he thought in amusement remembering that every year something had tried to kill him, being manipulated into following a prophecy and the school body believing he was mad.

Pocketing the picture, he stood up to face the mirror only to frown in disbelief. The mirror showed James playing with his snitch talking to Sirius and Remus at the lake, Peter was next to them, stuffing his face with food as he disgustinly spoke with his mouth full. They looked to be in the fifth or sixth year of Hogwarts, only a few small pale scars were present on Remus's face, his father and godfather looked handsome and filled with youthful joy. Harry was amazed how relaxed they all looked sitting on the ground with the orange leaves falling around them having been blown by the light breeze.

"What?" he breathed, placing his hand on the surface yelping as he was jolted through the mirror by his hand. His stomach jumping into his throat as he fell though the darkness, the light from the room quickly fading away as his body fell further.

He released a groan from the pain as his body hit dry ground.

"Damnit" he wheezed forcing his eyes open and his body to sit up on his knees. Quickly grabbing his wand he took in his surroundings, panic raising in his mind when he saw that he wasn't in the cave before his body relaxed when he saw Hogwarts.

Confusion soon took over in the place of panic, Hogwarts no longer looked like how it was when he attended, having rebuilt most of the castle after the attack and some of the school was still under construction. But it looked like how it did when he attended!

"What the hell is going on?" he whispered pushing himself to his feet as he walked towards his old school in the hopes of answers. It was dark out, the lights from the windows cast a welcoming glow across the grounds and brought a sad smile to Harry's face and the memory of his first home.

As he neared the entrance he stood still in shock as the blood fled from his face, making him slightly light headed and his heart started to beat uncontrollably.

"Impossible" his voice shuddered as his mind went into overdrive, his bright green eyes wide, "Dumbledore?"


	2. First Lesson

_Chapter 1 and 2 have been beta'ed and edited :D please enjoy._

XxXxX

Harry chuckled as he watched the first years nervously approach the Professors table ready to be sorted into their new houses. He wondered what the older years had told them about the sorting on their journey to Hogwarts. He glanced down to his right at Flitwick who was eagerly watching the first years, his brown hair starting to grey, the seat on his left was empty as McGonagall stood by the stool with her list of names.

Looking across the Great Hall Harry's heart jolted when he saw Snape sitting further down the Slytherin table staring in disgust at the Gryffindor. His body became so cold that not even the warmth of Hogwarts could warm his skin. _'If Snape is here that must mean...'_ following his future Professors gaze he saw the four Marauders huddled together. Sitting up straighter, his heart pounding as he watched James and Sirius conversing. Remus looked down the hall towards the first years before catching Harry's eyes causing the older man to blink, slightly startled. Remus turned back to his friends and motioned towards him causing the other three Marauders to gaze up at him before turning back to each other, Harry's fingers dug into his thigh as he fought to keep himself still as he stared hatefully at the little rat that sat aside his father, his jaw clenched painfully together.

After the first years had finally been sorted and McGonagall sat in her seat at Harry's left, Dumbledore stood from his seat, his presence demanding everyone's attention.

"Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words and introduce our new Defence against the Dark Arts Professor, Professor Harry Evans!" his voice rang across the hall, McGonagall lightly elbowed Harry making him nervously stand from his seat and drawing the students attention towards him. He offered a small smile as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment as a round of applause spread through the tables, the Slytherin table looking at him in displeasure. Sitting back down he nodded his head towards the Headmaster in thanks and half-heartedly listened to the warning that the elder man offered his students in regards to Voldemort, remembering how he had landed the job in the first place.

XxXxX

_The vibrant feathers were as soft as ever under his fingertips and a soft smile slowly peaked its way onto his face as he stroked the phoenix who released a content chirp. Dumbledores office had not changed much over time, the portraits who weren't dozing in their chairs looked at him in curiosity as he sat before the Headmaster, his wise eyes sparkling over the rim of his glasses._

_Harry had felt like he'd been slapped in the face when he had first seen his old Headmaster, a feeling of dread had ran through his body at the implications of what had happened just moments ago. His fist clenched beneath the table as he fought against the need to pull at his hair from the sudden slam of emotions he was feeling. Taking a deep breath, Harry refocused on the elder man, trying to push down the rising need to physically lash out._

"_Lemon drop?" the elderly man asked motioning to a small bowl filled with the sweets that sat upon his desk. A small chuckle erupted from Harry, his own green eyes shining with amusement as he reached for one of the sugary yellow sweets and holding it between his fingers as he gazed at it._

"_You haven't changed much" Harry forced himself to laugh before popping the sweet in his mouth and savouring the taste. Dumbledore looked at in equal amusement before leaning back into his chair and stroking his beard which was not as long as when Harry had last saw the man alive._

"_Everything changes with time and yet it does not change" the Headmaster said causing Harry to life a brow and shake his head knowing he'd understand what the older man meant as time progressed. "It's been a while since I've had the pleasure of meeting a time traveller Mr Potter. But I must warn you, you must not tell anyone of your current future as you being here is a paradox in itself."_

_Letting Fawkes fly back to his perch Harry ran his hand through his messy hair and groaned in frustration, "I know Professor, I just need help finding my way back to my own time."_

"_I'm afraid there aren't many options for you to do so, time-travel is tricky and is normally used for short durations, not twenty-three years."_

"_Wait, twenty-three years? It's 1977 now?" Harry asked his body leaning forward as stared at Dumbledore in amazement, "I'm not even born yet" he leant back into his chair, his head resting in his hand as he tried to calm himself down, biting through the sweet harshly. 'That means my parents are still here' he thought to himself eagerly._

"_In the meantime, I suggest you try and live a normal life here just in case you're unable to go back" Dumbledore reasoned as if he was oblivious to Harry's thoughts which the younger man knew he was not, "I've always had a problem with getting a Defence against the Dark Arts Professor" he sighed before his sparkling eyes caught Harry's own green ones and his white brows lifted before he motioned to Harry's clothes. "I believe that is your times version of the Aurors uniform is it not?"_

"_Yes Professor" Harry answered in amusement at where the conversation had lead, he had never though he would be back in a teaching role, the memory of Dumbledore's Army flashed before his mind. "I take it you would like me to take on the role then? I'll need to get myself some new robes and other essentials first. Don't suppose I could have my first months wage now could I?" he asked, a cheeky smile present on his face._

"_No need, I'll have everything delivered to you within the next few days" Dumbledore waved his hand before standing from his chair. "Now, I believe that I should show you to your quarters. I think you already know where the kitchen is if you're hungry" he walked around his desk, grabbing a lemon drop on his way before stopping before the door, "ah! We can't call you Potter in this time" he said turning to look at the younger male in thought, "there's only one wizarding family with that name and they can trace their heritage back to the ancient houses."_

"_Call me Evans, Professor Dumbledore" Harry replied without thinking as he stood, it would be easier for him to reply to as it was his mothers maiden name._

"_Very well" the elder man replied before opening his office door and motioning for Harry to leave first._

_They walked through the hallways in silence as Harry took in his surroundings with a content smile, Hogwarts never really changed over time. The portraits were the same and some of the décor may have changed but mostly it was a replica to his own time studying at the school making him feel more comfortable in his surroundings than he had been in years._

XxXxX

Sighing, he quickly grabbed an assortment of food and placed them on his plate pouring gravy and mint sauce over the potatoes and chicken before he elegantly ate his meal whilst conversing with McGonagall and Flitwick for the rest of the evening. He had already received his timetable and marvelled at how much work the Professors have to do and now had a higher respect for the teaching staff, especially those who had been teaching for a long duration of their lives.

"Are there any students that I should be careful around?" he asked the elder Professors, lifting a spoonful of hot toffee fudge cake to his lips giving it a gentle blow to cool it down before putting it into his mouth and humming in satisfaction at the flavour.

"Well there are some sixth years, the Marauders are pranksters, that's James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Peter isn't so bad, he mainly just follows the other three around and Remus makes sure that the boys don't go _too _far with their pranks" McGonagall explained to him and pointed towards their group at her house table. Harry nodded his head at the information as if he hadn't known about it beforehand.

"What's the worst they can do? They're only sixth years correct?" he questioned placing his head on his hand as he leaned forward staring at three of the four boys. Had anyone looked deeper into his eyes, they would have seen the longing in the bright green depths.

His ears twitched at the soft chuckles of Flitwick, leaning back into his chair he looked down at the small male. When the elder noticed that he had the attention of both Harry and McGonagall he blushed slightly, "I was just remembering when they made some of the corridors bouncy. Everyone had to bounce across them like those muggle bouncy castles" he chuckled again, his words bringing a smile to McGonagalls face as she remembered and a laugh erupted from Harry at the images in his mind.

"I can see this year being very interesting indeed" his laughter calming down to a light chuckle before stuffing another spoonful of pudding into his mouth realising too late it was too hot for his mouth. He reached for his goblet whilst waving his other hand in front of his mouth as he swallowed the sweet pudding before gulping down his drink, a satisfied groan left his wet lips as his co-workers laughed at him.

XxXxX

The next day found Harry in his classroom preparing for his first lesson with the sixth year Gryffindor and Slytherin students when his door opened and a small group of girls entered giggling to each other before they stopped at the sight of him.

"Good morning" he said, his voice gentle as his eyes softened at the sight of Lily, "You're early, I take it you're here for my class?" standing up straight Harry motioned for them to sit themselves down where they liked as he used his wand to neatly write the date and his name on the board as they once again giggled to themselves making him feel self-conscience.

"So Professor" a brown haired girl asked, her dark brown eyes lit up in curiosity as she place her head in her hand watching him. Turning around to fully look at her as the door opened and more of his students came in to take their seats, his class now full and his body became warm under their gazes.

"Yes Miss..."

"Alice Finkleburg Professor" she said with a grin and winking at Lily, turning her gaze back to Harry she carried on speaking, "I was just wondering Professor, but how old are you?"

Blinking as his mouth fell open slightly and a blush spread across his cheeks he glanced away. He never thought that Nevil's mother would be so forward when she was a young woman, his friend certainly took after his father then it seemed. Coughing as he gazed across the room and seeing that his other students were listening carefully, his father sat with Sirius in the middle of the class with Remus and Peter in front of them.

_'I'm going to have to find away to get Peter away from them'_ he thought to himself, resisting the urge to glare at the rat. Turning his gaze back to Alice he smiled warmly at her before replying, "I'm sure you don't ask _all _your Professors that Miss Finkleburg" he teased, sitting down on the corner of his desk. Many of the students looked disappointed, the majority females which made Harry smile, "..._but _I'll tell you" he winked with a grin, "I'm twenty years old."

"You're not that much older than us!" Sirius cried out in shock as the room filled with chatter, "how are you qualified to teach? I thought that you had to be above fifty to be qualified."

Laughing as he shook his head, Harry moved some of his belongings across the table so he could sit more comfortably.

"I guess I'm an exception then" he said cheerfully, "I'll tell you about my qualifications then so you can see for yourselves that I'm qualified." Taking a deep breath to calm himself down he motioned to the board, "As you know my name is Harry Evans and as you just found out, I am twenty. I am a trained Auror and have been qualified to fight against Death Eaters and other dark wizards since I was eighteen."

The students looked at him in amazement, most if not all knew that it took several years of additional studying after school to be qualified to become a Auror. Making Harry the youngest in his chosen career.

"However, I have fought against dark wizards since I was at school, I've killed a basilisk, banished a hundred dementors at once, accidentally woke up a lake full of Inferi, flown on a broom with a dragon chasing me and duelled Voldemort himself." His enraptured class flinched back at the use of the Dark Lord's name, looking at him in horror.

"You said his name" squeaked Peter, his face filled with terror as if Voldemort would appear right in front of him.

"Fear of a name increases the fear of the thing itself" Harry repeated the words told to him from what seemed so long again. "By fearing his name, you are only giving Voldemort more power and control over your fear. You are allowing him to affect you without even being here. There is nothing to fear in a name as it's normally a shield for the person to hide behind."

"So you're saying we shouldn't fear you-know-who" scoffed a Slytherin boy sitting in the back, "are you mad? He's killed so many already and you're saying we shouldn't fear him?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying Mr Flint" Harry could see the resemblance between the boy and the the old Slytherin Quidditch Captain from the future, "I'm not saying you should go out there right now and demand a duel with Voldemore" again the students flinched at the sound of the name "I'm saying you should not fear a name. For it is simply a name. He is uses it to strike fear to many even when he isn't there, it allows him to control what you fear."

Many of the students looked at Harry with growing respect, the Marauders in particular. which lead Harry to hope that less would join Voldemort's cause and fight against him. He had a growing to-do list as there was little hope that he would be returning to his own time. He wondered briefly how him being there would impact the future he knew before banishing it away. He was going to make the future a brighter place to be if he was going to be stuck here, as long as James and Lilly married, he truly did not care how he affected the time line.

"Now, shall we start our lesson?"

_Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think OK? I'm still deciding who I should pair Harry up with in this story but let's just say that he's going to make the future a lot brighter even though it's going to be weird for him when Ron and Hermione are born. Poor duck._

_I maybe looking for a beta reader soon as I'm not that good of a writer so I need all the help I can get. I'm using this for experience with my own book that I'm writing. If anyone's interested in reading that, I'll put a link on my profile – just PM me :D_


	3. Fear and Bonds

With a twitch of his finger, Harry summoned the three books that Madam Gatsby had mentioned when he explained that he was conducting research into time-travel for a article he was writing about. He had released a sigh of relief when she believed his lie, thanking whoever was out there that he had gotten rather good at it over the span of his short life.

Levitating them in front of him he walked over to a secluded table in the back of the library, his thick, forest green robes billowing behind him.

Quickly pulling out his enchanted quill and parchment, he muttered _"velox verro" _and tapped his glasses with his finger, silently thanking Herminone for forcing him to learn wandless magic. Picking up the first thick volume, Harry quickly flicked through the pages with the use of the quick read spell.

"Wish I had known this spell for my exams." He cursed quietly as his quill wrote down any important information that he read.

What would have taken him a least a week to read took him half an hour. Glancing down at his parchment he groaned loudly in frustration after seeing that there wasn't even two inches worth of notes. His eyes grew dull as he grasped his hair and pulled harshly, his eyes clenching in pain before his hand fell, running over his face. He looked at the other thicker books before resigning to his fate and reached out for the second book, his hand shaking slightly.

His mind drifted back to the memory of himself sitting for hours in the library with Hermione and Ron before his second task in the Triwizard Tournament and how they had steadily become frustrated. Snorting as he held back his laughter, he pulled the second book towards him and used it for a pillow as he started to feel panic rising inside of him. _'What if I can't go back?' _he thought to himself, biting his lip, his eyes wide but unseeing. _'What's going to happen to me? ...as long as James and Lily get married I should be fine. Will everyone's memories be affected? Are they changing right now? Oh god, what if me being here is screwin-'_

"I didn't think you would be in here Professor." A quiet voice called out to him making Harry look up startled, soft brown eyes met his own green ones. Remus stood before his table his face looked tired and it didn't take long for Harry to guess that a full moon was approaching. The younger males arms were wrapped around a small stack of books, holding them against his chest.

"Afternoon Remus" Harry sent his a small grin, his eyes softening their gaze happily as he picked up his parchment and placed it between the pages of his book before closing it. He didn't want the Marauders thinking he was up to something, having them following his movements could cause disastrous results. "Hmm, those books are for my class right?" he asked curiously leaning forward to try and see the title of the first book. His grin widened when he saw he was correct, "I've read your past reports, I'm glad you're taking an interest now. You got an Exceeding Expectations in the O.W.L's right?"

"Ah yes Professor" Remus replied his voice sent a shiver down Harry's spine. Standing up, Harry flicked his wrist, his two unread books gently levitated before stacking themselves besides him as the other flew to a cart near to be placed back. The brunette's eyes widened at the display of wandless magic, Harry placed his finger against his lips and winked as if to say that it was their secret.

"I'll take my leave then...unless you need my help?" Harry held his arm out for the books to gently fell into, his fingers caressing the leather spine as he looked down at the younger male, a gentle smile played across his face as the light in his eyes danced.

"Ah, erm, no I think I'll be fine Professor" Remus said quickly turning his head away, looking up at the darker haired man from the corner of his eyes.

"Very well, but if you need any help or advice you can come to me if you'd like" he said with a shrug of his shoulders, "it wasn't that long ago since I was your age and studying you know" his voice filled with amusement as he left without seeing the blush that spread across his student's cheeks at his words.

XxXxX

Four shadows ran around the grounds below, three larger than the fourth made Harry grin ans he sat on his window seat his legs drawn up close to his chest while his arms curled around them as he rested his head against his knees. His room lit by a single candle on his bedside table and the light from the full moon which shone brightly in the cloudless sky.

"I'm glad they found you Remus" he whispered and was answered by a loud howl as if the werewolf had heard him drawing out a content chuckle from his lips and his body ache to run alongside them all.

Dragging his body away from the window, Harry stood before the mirror in his room and stared at his reflection. Scars littered his body, some far deeper than others and now angry red scratches coloured his arms. Running his finger along a large raised silver line upon his arm, Harry looked down as his blunt nails clawed over his pale skin.

Shaking his head, he moved to grab his cloak, sighing as the material slide across his skin he reached for his wand and his bag as he left his room. Stopping outside his door he mutter _"lumos"_ whilst opening his senses, tapping into the ancient magic of the school which hummed happily in response to his minds touch, whispering its secrets and passageways to him.

Satisfied that no one was in the corridors he needed to walk through he left, his footsteps making no sound as if he was floating his eyes scanned his surroundings, his body tense. Seeing the portraits sleeping in their frames brought a smile to his lips. He was glad that he was now allowed to walk through the corridors after hours, it had started to become a pain using the invisibility cloak once he and his friends finally finished puberty and their feet had stuck out of the bottom making them crouch. Ron had always complained about backache after they used it.

Stopping before a familiar door Harry cast out his senses again before quietly opening the wooden door and closing it behind him. "Hello Myrtle" he called out to the ghost that haunted the bathroom.

"Who are you?" she demanded angrily as she flew out of her toilet her eyes widening when she saw him making Harry roll his eyes. Even now it seemed she had a crush on him.

"I'm Professor Harry Evans" he offered her a kind smile knowing that she didn't get that many visitors, "I hope you tormented Miss Hornby while she was a student here."

Myrtle floated down closer to him, her high pitched voice sent a shiver through his body as he remembered her joining him in the prefects bathroom.

"Oh yes I did, I followed her through the corridors and scare her when she thought I'd given up" she cackled in glee as she pressed herself as close as possible to him without actually going through his body, "it made me sad when Dumbledore told me to stop."

"Everyone needs a good scare don't they?" he agreed moving away from her and towards the sink running his thumb over the serpent embossed onto the metal, "Myrtle can you do me a favour, if anyone comes in while I'm not back. Give them a scare for me please?" he shot her a grin over his shoulder.

A giggle erupted through her ghostly body as she nodded in agreement "if you die down there, you're welcome to use my toilet."

Shaking his head he turned back to the sink _"Open" _he spoke, watching as the sink sank and its neighbours moved forwards to create a large hole in the floor as he muttered _"__repellunt" _to repel the dirt and _"aer bulla" _created a small bubble of fresh oxygen covered his mouth and nose before he jumped in.

Once at the bottom of the pipe he quickly made his way through the tunnel towards the sealed serpent door, his feet cracking the bones of rats and other small rodents. Large, sticky cobwebs covered the walls and blocked his path _"incendio" _he muttered, fire blasting violently from the tip of his wand and burning through the silky material.

Once he had reached the door to the chamber he hissed again, his voice echoing through the tunnel and watched as the door activate, marvelling at how finely crafted it was, coughing slightly as dust filled the air.

Entering the chamber he saw the statue of Slytherin's face as he made his way across the water covered floor his footsteps caused movement behind the walls of the large room signalling that he had woken the basilisk.

"_Come to me" _he hissed his eyes shut, the mouth of Slythering rumbling as it opened to reveal the large beast who hissed in anger as it slithered across the flood and bared its fangs menacingly at Harry. _"I'm not here to hurt you" _he hissed back causing the snake to stop in confusion.

"_Who are you?" _it asked circling Harry, _"I cannot smell the blood of Slytherin in your veins." _

"_That's because I'm not the heir to Slytherin" _he answered honestly, _"the bloodline is dead, you have no master. I came to ask you not to hurt the students of this school." _

"_And why should I do what you ask?" _it replied curiously as it stood behind Harry, it's head not an inch away from Harry's own breathing in his scent, _"what do you offer me?"_

"_I'll ensure that you are fed more than rats" _he hissed back calmly, his eyes remained closed and his body relaxed. _"May I ask for your name?"_

"_You ask my name boy?" _it scoffed moving away towards the statue of its first master, _"you're asking to be my new master boy?" _

"_No, I'm asking to be your friend" _Harry's words made the serpent stop, the chamber was filled with a deafening silence before hissing filled the air. It took Harry a second to realise that the basilisk was laughing, at him or the thought he didn't know.

"_You are a strange human boy...Mikhail."_

"_Mikhail?"_

"_My name boy. Mikhail."_

"_I'll ensure that you'll get some better meat as often as I can. Now if you could do me a favour..."_

XxXxX

"Now class, who can tell me the best spell to use against a Boggart?" he asked his students who sat quietly, the majority of the females had chose to sit at the front of class for some reason unknown to Harry. He had chosen to use the first few weeks to understand what level the students were at so that he could quickly fill in any holes in their knowledge and bring them up to an Acceptable standard.

Remus's hand shot up alongside Lily's and a Slytherin student, "yes Lupin?" he asked with a smile hoisting himself onto his desk and leant forward his hands pressed together showing the younger boy he had his attention.

"The charm used against a Boggart is Riddikulus Professor" his voice quiet as he shyly met Harry's eyes before glancing away quickly.

"Correct, ten points to Gryffindor" Harry said happily flashing Remus a grin, "a Boggart is an amortal shape-shifting non-being that takes on the form of the viewer's worst fear. Now it's normally best to have more than one person with you when trying to get rid of one as it helps to cause it confusion but normally life isn't that kind to you. Now I want everyone to put their books away and place their bags by my desk" jumping from his own desk he watched as the students came to his desk confusion evident on their faces. Waving his wand he pushed back the desks making them stack themselves neatly against the walls and the chairs stood in two piles by the door, once he was satisfied he flicked his wand again and levitated a large wardrobe to the centre of the room.

"Now I believe that a practical approach is the best way to learn. So everyone line up in an orderly fashion. Don't worry, I'll be right here if you need me" he kindly reassured them, "now if you _really _don't want to do it, come talk to me and I'll arrange another time for you to do it on your own" he glanced at Remus who was looking at him worriedly, motioning for Remus to step out of the line and stand next to him he turned back to the class. "Remember, the best way to combat a Boggart is laughter" waving his wand the door to the cupboard opened and a large clown slowly emerged.

Turning to look at Remus he saw that he was staring at the Boggart fearfully, _'he's scared it'll show the moon' _Harry thought to himself biting his lip. He watched as Lily and Alice had their turns, shouting out to them to think of something funny before they shouted the spell. Like his own lesson against the Boggart, many students had backed away in fear until he called out to them, reviving their resolve to combat the creature.

It was now James's turn, standing straighter Harry watched with interest wondering what his younger father's fear was. His eyes widened when he saw an elder man lying on the floor, dead ble eyes staring into James's own. Black hair littered with grey was plastered to his face by blood and his skin deathly pale. His robes were ripped open around his chest as blood seeped through the long, deep slashes, the white bone of his ribs could be seen causing Harry to chock in horror.

"_Dad" _he heard James whisper in distress before the Boggart once again changed into a woman roughly the same age as the previous man. Again her eyes held no light in them as the stared at the ceiling, her mouth stretched open wide in terror. There were no visible signs of harm on her body making it obvious that she was killed by the Unforgivable curse. The class, both Slytherin and Gryffindor gasped in horror at the sight, some crying out as James fell down to his knees, tears slipping from his eyes as he stared at his mother.

Memories of those he couldn't save flew through Harry's mind making his heart race and cold sweat break out across his forehead and back, his body shook from the sudden wave of despair flooded his body.

With speed Harry almost forgot he possessed, he stood before James, his arms open wide causing the Boggart to turn its attention onto him. In a blur it had changed its appearance once again into a Dementor's causing his students to chock and become paler.

" Riddikulus!" He shouted angrily, the Dementor changing into Dumblore in his pyjamas. Harry flicked his hand at the dark being, flinging it back into the cupboard and locking it firmly.

Remus and Sirius ran to James's side attempting to comfort the young man as he shook in their arms. Glancing around, Harry saw Lily stare at James in sympathy before walking over to the three men and tried to help in the other two's attempt in comfort.

"Right, class is finished but I want you all to write eight inches regarding Boggarts, where their habitats, targets, other spells that are useful against them and for extra points what their natural appearance is" he called out to the students.

Ushering them out of his classroom, he turned around and walked towards the five remaining students, Peter hovering over the other four. "Pettigrew, Evans, make your way to your next class now. I'll help Lupin and Black get Potter to the Hospital Wing." Lily looked up to protest but saw the panicked gaze in his eyes before nodding her head and grabbing Peter's sleeve and dragging him along side her out of the door.

Kneeling down he looked at James before sighing. He had not anticipated that this would happen.

"Potter, can you hear me?" He asked receiving a small nod in return, "I need you to stand up, can you do that for me? Lupin and Black are going to help me take you to the Hospital Wing."

The younger Potter stood up with the help of Remus and Sirius, his knees wobbly as he struggled to stand. Motioning for them to follow, he hurriedly left the room and followed the corridors leading to the Hospital Wing, stopping occasionally for his three students to catch up.

"Poppy!" He all but shouted as he threw open the doors to the ward, pointing to a bed for James to lie in.

Poppy popped out of her office, annoyance written on her face for being disturbed in such a rushed manner. Her eyes flew from his face towards James before rushing to his side, "what happened?" she demanded over her shoulder at Harry.

"A Boggart. It took the forms of his parents" he replied walking over, his eyes gazed down at Jame's in concern, "I didn't anticipate that it would be his greatest fear."

After telling them to stay where they were, Madam Pomfrey rushed into her potions cupboard to get a calming potion for James. Harry looked down at the floor, guilt clear in his eyes as he bit his lip.

"...it's not your fault Professor" James said quietly, his voice still shaking. Looking up, Harry saw all three of them were looking in his direction, "you couldn't have known what my fear was. I should have said something."

Shaking his head, Harry sat down at the foot of the bed and smiled gently at James, "I should have asked if anyone wanted to not participate James, so I guess we're both equal to blame. If you need to talk about what...happened or anything else, you're more than welcome to come to my office to see me alright? The same to the both of you."

He watched as they nodded to him before he stood up as Pomfrey approached, "I shall leave them to you then Poppy" he said before leaving the Wing and making his way back slowly to his office, thinking of how he could make up for his mistake.

XxXxX

Once the last first year student had left, Harry flicked his wand levitating the tables and chairs back to their places and placed the wardrobe back in its corner before leaving his classroom.

He nodded back as students called out to him happily in greeting as he made his way to the dungeons towards the potions classroom. Gently knocking on Slughorns office he waited for the muffled acknowledgement before entering.

"Ah, Harry lovely to see you" the elder mad said happily moving from behind his desk to shake Harry's hand and motioned for him to sit down, "tea?"

"Yes please Horace" Slughorn conjured another cup before pouring tea from his matching teapot. Gently grabbing two sugar cubes, Harry dropped them into the hot liquid stirring it with his spoon.

"How can I help you Harry?" the elder Professor asked curiously, "it's not often that you come to other Professors offices."

Sipping at his tea Harry before placing it back down on the table and made himself more comfortable in his chair, "I was wondering what price I could get for basilisk venom, I know it's rare and expensive" he stated, no use beating around the bush in his opinion.

Slughorn choked on his tea as he stared at Harry in wonder, pounding his chest he coughed to clear his throat before answering "well my boy, it's very rare and the venom's potency lasts years. I would suspect that someone would pay a high price for a a few drops of it. Why do you ask?"

Reaching inside his robes, Harry pulled out two of the four vials of the venom and placed them on the table by his tea.

"I have two vials of Basilisk venom for sale and I a reliable supplier so I can obtain it frequently if so wished. Do you know anyone who would buy them for their potions?" Slughorn's eyes bulged as he stared at the two small vials sitting innocently on his desk Harry saw his hands rub together greedily.

"May I verify it?" the elder man said, motioning to the venom. Harry nodded his head as he rested it in his hand, his legs crossed as he relaxed into the chair and sipped his tea. Slughorn gently picked up a vial, standing up he moved towards a small plant sitting in the corner of one of the many book shelves and pulled out the cork. Dropping a small drop into the soil, the plant started to decay causing Slughorn to release an excited squeal.

"This is brilliant, I'll buy them off you now Harry. How about two-hundred galleons per vial?" The man smiled sitting back down and pushing the cork back in.

"I know it's worth more than that Horace" the younger man raised his brow unimpressed. His eyes hardened in warning that he did not like to be played with or to presumed that he did not know the rarity of the venom. "Six-hundred galleons. Per vial."

Slughorn chocked on his tea at the price, pounding on his chest he gasped out "six-hundred!? I'll give you five-hundred."

Sitting in silence as he watch the man get his breath back Harry smiled happily, "agreed." He soon left the potions master's office with his money pouch heavy and his shoulders lighter. Now he just had to wait until the weekend to visit Gringotts to open himself a vault.


	4. Falling

A groan left Harry's lips as the need to smash his head against the table increased. He didn't mind teaching, in some cases it was fun watching his students progress and sharing the joy that they felt when they performed the spells correctly. However, he did _not _enjoy the amount of marking he had to do.

"I feel like a student again" he mumbled as he read the fifteenth essay from his first year classes, already feeling sorry for the other professors who had done this for years now. He had already failed two students for copying, they didn't even make an attempt to hide the fact!

Running his hand through his already messy hair, Harry placed his quill in its holder and moving the parchment to the side of the oak desk before as he stood up. Quickly checking his robes to make sure he looked presentable, he walked past the empty desks and out of his classroom, his stomach grumbling as he headed to the kitchens for a midnight snack.

Stepping through the hidden door he watched for small house elves bustle around the kitchen, cleaning pots and pans while others were preparing food for breakfast.

"Ah! Mr Harry Evans Sir!" a small squeaky voice called out from his left. Harry knelt down to look the smaller being in her blue eyes, giving her a kind smile, "what can Pippy do for you Sir?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you so late Pippy but I was hoping for something to eat, marking makes me kinda hungry" Harry chuckled as he watched her face light up with delight.

"It would be my pleasure Mr Harry Evans, Sir! Mr James, Mr Sirius and Mr Remus are here too!"

"They are?" Harry looked sharply over towards the fireplace where three shocked faces stared at him like a deer caught in headlights, "well, well, well. What do we have here? Three trouble makers out after hours. I'm shocked Remus, I expected you to at least keep these two in line" he teased walking towards his three students, his words made the young werewolf blush shamefully and his two friends to grin sheepishly at the older man.

"It's a funny story actually Professor" Sirius said quickly standing up from his stool, pumpkin pasties and other sweets littered the table between them.

"Hmhmm. Right, I'll love to hear it with a cup of tea" Harry replied, sitting down besides James and grabbing a trickle tart, quietly thanking Pippy when she poured him a cup of tea before biting into the sweet.

Sipping his drink Harry turned to James, looking down at the dark haired teen in concern, "how are you feeling James? I'm sorry about the Boggart -"

"I'm fine Professor, really" James replied with a shrug, "it's not like it's real and that chocolate you gave me helped a lot." Harry gazed into his fathers hazel eyes, looking for any sign of deceit, finding none he smiled, his hand lifting up to ruffle the teens hair before he stopped himself and turning away. _'This isn't my family. I have to stop acting so familiar with them'_ he thought tiredly to himself, fighting the need to be closer to the three teens.

Gulping down the rest of his tea, he glanced up at Sirius and Remus, watching them as they glanced between him and James, confusion evident on their faces.

"What?" Harry asked, his brows frowning slightly before looking at James who returned his look of confusion before he turned back towards his friends.

"Why are you two looking at us like that?" the younger Potter asked annoyed, leaning his elbows on the table.

"Are you two related?" Remus blurted out awkwardly, "because you look identical except for your eyes."

Harry almost flinched as he silently cursed himself for his own stupidity, _'I should have used some transformation spells at the start of term'. _"No, I don't believe we are Remus" he replied coolly before finishing off his sweet, thanking Pippy again as she placed a plateful of bacon sandwiches in front of him and refilled his cup.

"I don't think I have an Evans in my family line" James mumbled, looking at his Professor thoughtfully, "weird how we look alike though. Are you sure you're not related to my family Professor?"

Forcing a smile onto his face, Harry shook his head, "I'm sure James. The world is just blessed to have us" he said, targeting James's confidence in his looks. As expected, James turned to his friends and ran his hand through his hair as he boasted about his looks to his friends.

Harry sighed in relief before digging into his bacon sandwiches, "where's Peter?" he asked curiously as he watched the younger three dig into the pile of sweets in front of them.

"Oh he's asleep, his stomach was playing up on him so we decided to let him rest" Remus explained, his voice quiet as he looked up at Harry though his eyelashes, he eyes watching the elders lips before forcing his gaze away as Harry licked them to clean them of breadcrumbs.

He sat watching the three interact with each other, his hand slid up his sleeve and gripped his arm tightly, his nails digging into the skin causing a sense of relief to flood through him. _'I need to leave this time before I change anything too drastically. I don't want to make too many changes that'll impact how the war went.' _His traitorous mind began showing him images of Neville falling to the hunters after killing Bellatrix, the torture that Ginny had endured before they finally cast the killing curse. He screams echoing through her mind, a reminder that he was unable to do anything, locked away without his wand and his magic drained in the next room.

"-effor. Professor!" Harry forced himself out of his memories, his eyes becoming focused on Remus who was standing in front of him, concern filled his face with James and Sirius mirroring his expression behind him.

"Yes?" he coughed, trying to force his emotions away as he looked up at the younger men.

"Are you alright Professor?" Remus asked, his hand reaching out to rest on Harry's arm. Harry flinched as he stood up, his stool falling loudly to the floor as he took deep breaths to calm himself. Dread filled him as hurt flashed across Remus's face as the younger teen pulled back his hand to grab his elbow as he moved back submissively but also defensive. James and Sirius's faces became guarded as the grey eyed teen rested his hand on Remus's shoulder in comfort.

"Shit, no. I didn't mean... I didn't mean it like that Remus" he said quietly, almost begging the younger teen to forgive his sudden movement. "I didn't mean to act like that, it's not because of _that_." He moved forward to lean across the table, his hand reached out towards the younger male but not touching him, "I was caught up in memories."

The three younger males watched Harry, the two taller still held their defensive stances but the tension from their shoulders lifted as Remus took a step forward making Sirius's hand fall from his shoulder as he gently took Harry's hand in his own for a brief moment in forgiveness.

"What memories made you fall so far from reality Professor?" James asked, curiosity set within his frame so much like Harry when he was at Hogwarts.

Harry closed his eyes as he sighed heavily before opening them again. The three Maruaders were shocked when his eyes seemed to have aged, making him seem so much older.

"Only the darkest of memories cling to me now. Like a fly caught in a web...the more you struggle, the further entangled you are" he replied, a sad smile on his lips "we all do things that we regret, but were needed to be done for the greater good. And we then have to live with these decisions, with the regret." He took a deep, shaky breath that seemed to rattle in his lungs "the mind is an evil thing that we live with, it is our greatest friend and our worst enemy. Replaying the things we wish to forget whilst asking the never ending question of 'what if I had done that?', 'what would have happened if I had been faster.' Our minds recreates the situations we have endured and even creates ones that never existed. And the answer-less questions still plague us until we accept what happened or until we die." He blinked causing the cloud of old age to disappear from his eyes before Harry made his way to the door.

"Oh and James, that cloak is pretty handy isn't it?" he joked, sending them a grin and a wink over his shoulder as he passed through the doorway.

The three teens stood in silence as they watched the painting slide back over the doorway before looking at each other.

"Professor Evans, he has an old soul" Sirius mused as he grabbed James's invisibility cloak and throwing it around himself and his two friends.

"Too old. I wonder what he's seen" Remus said, his voice quiet as his mind replayed the last few minutes.

"Not only that, I wonder what he's done for him to feel so much pain" James said ominously, his words made Sirius look at him in agreement as Remus bit his lip in worry and pity for his Professor.

XxXxX

Bolting upright in his queen sized bed, Harry flung his hand forward in blind panic smashing the wardrobe with wandless magic and struggled against the sheets wrapped tightly around his legs before he fell from the bed. Breathing heavily whilst choking back sobs that violently shook his body, he quickly managed to gather his senses and allowed his body to sag in exhaustion, wiping away the cold sweat from his brow and blindly reaching up to blindly search for his glasses on his bed side table. His friends screams echoing through his mind and the images of Ron and Hermione sitting besides his hospital bed pale faced with worry six months after the war.

Forcing his body to stand, he quickly repaired the damage his magic made with a flick of his shaking wrist as he made his way to the bathroom. Removing his glasses he splashed his face with cold water before bending down to drink from the tap, the water refusing to remove the dryness from his mouth.

Grabbing his glasses again, he lent against the sink, looking at his reflection and taking in the changes that time had harshly made upon his face. His scar stood proudly against his too pale skin, his high cheekbones standing out due to his lack of appetite, his once bright green eyes dark from the mental scars he had to bare. Turning his head to the right, his eyes caught sight of a thick scar running from his temple to his earlobe, one of the more obvious wounds he obtained in his fight against the dark wizards.

He pressed his forehead against the glass, his warm breath causing the surface to mist over before he quickly moved back into the bedroom to dress himself in dark green robes lined with silver, ignoring his naked figure in the mirror in shame. He did not need to see his reflection to know that he was rapidly losing weight and was in danger of causing himself more harm, he did make himself a mental note to eat more during meals.

Grabbing his wand and placing it within its holster strapped against his wrist, he left his room and made his way outside, the moon shining brightly through the thin layer of clouds that filled the nights sky. Quickly leaving the boundaries of Hogwarts and apparating to Pecham, casting an invisibility charm on his person as he prowled the streets for someone perfect for his plans. Someone who no one would miss. Regret gripped his heart tightly as he came upon an old homeless woman, bundled up in rotten blankets.

Quietly pulling out his want, he whispered his apologies as a tear slid from his eye before _Imperio_ and forcing her to her feet whilst he destroyed her belongings and gripped wrist tightly as he once again apperated. The appeared outside the seaside cave where Tom had hidden Salazar Slytherin's locket, the old woman bent over and vomited what little she had eaten that night before Harry walked into the cave, waving his wrist to make her follow him.

He grabbed her hand once again and slit the skin on her thumb and pressed it against the stone door as payment for entrance. Once the door opened, he summoned the boat and cast a lighting spell as they walked down the steps to the water's edge, he was careful that the homeless woman didn't disturb the water as she got into the boat alongside him before it moved towards the island.

He sighed deeply as his body started to shake in disgust and regret to what he was about to do, turning to the woman, he grabbed he hands gently and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he looked into her blank eyes.

"I am so sorry" he choked back tears, "just know that your sacrifice will save so many lives and I will live with the memory of your sacrifice" he gently raised his hand to brush his knuckles across her dirty cheek, "tell me your name."

The old woman to a long, shaky breath before her surprisingly clear voice seeped past her dry lips, "Lucretia."

"Lucretia" he repeated breathlessly closing his eyes and pressing his forehead against hers, "I will remember you until I die. I am so _sorry."_ A sob left his lips as his knees went weak in dread to what he was doing. He felt disgusting forcing a muggle, _anyone_ to do this in his place. Another life to add to his growing list of people who died for him and the greater good.

Breathing deeply, he calmed his mind and forced a cold, calm mask across his face as he wiped away his emotions and guided the old woman to the basin. Grabbing the shell, he carefully scooped the clear potion and guided it to the old woman's lips, forcing her to drink his his thoughts. Once the shell was empty the woman dropped to her knees, screaming in agony as painful memories burned through her mind.

Ignoring her screams, Harry scooped more potion into the shell and harshly grabbed her hair, commanding her to open her mouth as he poured more of the vile concoction into her. She clawed at her skin, begging him to take away the pain as she fell to the ground, her body thrashing.

Scooping more of the potion up into the shell, Harry bent down and dragged her up by her hair, ignoring her pleas for him to stop, he poured more of the potion into her mouth, quickly clamping her mouth shut with his hand, forcing her to swallow so she could breath.

He repeated the process for what seemed like an eternity until the basin was empty, he cast a disgusted look at the locket before grabbing it and shoving it into his pocket before turning back to the woman. To Lucretia.

He knelt down besides her convulsing form, running his hand gently through her hair as if to comfort her.

"I'm sorry Lucretia, I'm sorry I had to pick you but you were just there and I needed someone to drink that vile stuff...and I'm sorry that no one will find your body" he whispered as he stood up. Stepping over her, he walked towards the water's edge and gently sat himself in the boat. He could hear her crawling to the water's edge as the boat drifted across its surface to the other side, his eyes closing as he heard her place her hands into the water to drink. He let out a shaking breath as he stood on the rock near the entrance, listening to the woman's screams as she was dragged into the water as he made his way out of the cave and quickly appareted back to the entrance of Hogwarts. The sun had just started to break through the horizon as he walked through the corridors of the large castle, quickly making his way to his office to hide the locket from view, plans on how to destroy the warped jewellery running through his mind alongside the echo's of the woman he had used.

Once in his bedroom, he threw the locket into the draw of his desk and cast every enchantment he knew to keep it secure before he sagged in his chair, his head tilted back as he stared blankly at the ceiling. He shouldn't have asked her for her name. But he didn't want her to die and have no memory of the brave woman he had forced to take that fate. Leaning forward, he lent his elbows on his desk and pressed his face into his hands as sobs shook through his body, subconsciously casting a silencing charm across the room as he released his emotions without fear of judgement. His disgust and shame for his own existence had never felt so intense as it did now.

"I'm sorry everyone" he sobbed, his heart shattering further as he fell deeper into depression and his own dark memories and thoughts, his hand grabbing the silver letter opener on his desk then moving his sleeve up his arm to reveal his pale arm to drag the knife along the flesh, cleanly cutting it like paper. "I'm becoming what I said I wouldn't" he whispered as fat tears ran down his cheeks, looking down at his new, deep wound that spelled out Lucretia, blood running in steady streams across his skin. "I'm a _monster. _I'm as bad as Tom is."

XoXoX

**Authors note:**

**Hey guys, let me know what you think of this chapter OK? I don't know if I got what I was trying to get across to you all. But basically Harry is very depressed and if you haven't guessed it by now, this is one of the many reasons why he was taken off active duty after the war when it became apparent that he wasn't coping.**

**Anyway, thank you for those who have reviewed the story already and I am sorry about the wait, I've just finished my final year at University and organising a ball and it's all been a bit hectic.**

**To fallingfireflies: yes, this will be a Harry and Remus slash story, but I'm hoping to have it progress to slowly and nothing too smexy will be happening until Remus's final year. But there's gonna be a lot of comforting because they both have issues. And Harry is going through depression and post traumatic stress disorder (which I don't know if I'm writing correctly or not).**

**Also, I'm putting my Tumblr account on my profile if anyone wants to follow me there or ask me any questions, don't be shy OK! :D**


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